We are happy to finally be sending you our first newsletterof 2008, it's a little late due to a terrible bout withbronchitis this winter.

We will be covering several topics in this newsletter andhope that you will find them of interest.

With Easter rapidly approaching we hope you will join inand help with the Make Mine Chocolate Campaign.

http://www.makeminechocolate.org/

The Columbus Chapter of the House Rabbit Society startedthe Make Mine Chocolate Campaign to bring to the publicsattention that rabbits are not toys to be given at Easterand dumped at a shelter a few month's later when thenovelty wears off. A rabbit is a 10 year commitment ormore, and future rabbit guardians need to do research tofind out all they can about rabbits before adding one totheir household.

Please go to the link above and help share the Make MineChocolate message by passing out fliers, selling See'scandy for your local chapter, writing to newspaper editorsand spreading the word any way you can.

It's time to start planning your Bunny Garden and orderingseeds, be sure too plan plenty of extras to share with thebunnies at your local shelter. As soon as weather permitswe'll start planting some kale, parsley, carrots, chard,radicchio, dandelion (not the weeds),escarole, dill,fennel, bok choy, strawberries, grapes, stringless snappeas, and maybe a few new favorites this year.

It's fun looking through the seed catalogs to see what'savailable, or going to the gardening center and buying afew starter plants. Don't forget some fruit trees. Theyare great for you and your bunny. If you plant an appletree you and your bunny can enjoy the fresh fruit, inmoderation, and your bunny can enjoy nibbling on freshapple twigs and branches. Don't feed other fresh fruittwigs as they can be poisonous.Willow trees of all varieties make great chewing sourcesfor your bunny, and they are very pretty trees. Ipersonally love Pussy Willow trees, and Artemis andEinstein are wild about munching the fresh or dried twigs. Make sure you have plenty of room though, as these treescan reach their full height of 20 – 30 feet the first twoyears. They can then be cut back to the ground in the fallso they will once again grow and produce more willowbranches for your bunny. Willow is said to be a naturalpain reliever so it's not only good for bunny teeth, it'sapparently good for whatever may ail you.

We use all organic seed and fertilizer in our Bunny Garden. If you can't find organic seed and fertilizer pleasedon't spray any pesticides, use any herbicides like Rounduparound the garden or fungicides on the plants your rabbitswill be eating. Your bunny will be thrilled with theflavor of freshly picked food from your garden, it beatsgrocery store produce hands down.

We'd also like to cover shedding in this newsletter. Rabbit's shed about every three months. Your short hairedrabbit should be brushed weekly throughout the year, dailyif you have a long haired rabbit, this can become part ofyour bonding time. When your bunny (even a short hairedbunny) is shedding you need to start brushing daily so thatyou remove the hair instead of allowing your rabbit to lickthe loose hair and ingest it. When your rabbit is sheddingmake sure s/he is getting plenty of hay as well as addingdaily rather than weekly Petromalt or Laxatone and someprozyme or papaya tablets. Check your bunny's litter boxfor signs of hair in the poop which will be strung togetherlike a little “pearl necklace”. Your rabbit needs accessto plenty of fresh hay, water, veggies and lots of exerciseto help prevent hair getting backed up in her digestivesystem. If your rabbit stops eating during a shed oranytime, be sure to contact your vet right away. Rabbitsshould not go without eating, it can be a medical emergencyand even cause death.

Keeping long haired rabbits like Angoras or Fuzzy Lopstrimmed to about ½ to 1” long will not only help controlshedding but will make grooming in general much easier. Shorter hair is less likely to become matted than longhair, even though the long hair is gorgeous. If you can'tcommit to daily brushing/combing it's easier to keep themtrimmed. If your long haired bunny does get a mat be verycareful removing it as your bunny's skin is very sensitiveto pulling and is also very thin and can be snipped easilyif you don't keep your finger between the skin and the hairyou want to trim off. If, despite vigilant grooming, youstill find a large mat on your long haired bunny you maywant to take your rabbit to a groomer or vet to have themat shaved off. Mats are very painful for bunnies as theypull hairs from different areas of the body and form themat and can make it difficult to move around without pain. Being a guardian to a long haired rabbit requires much morework than a short haired rabbit. Einstein is a frenchangora and is very high maintenance, and Artemis is aFlorida White and is fairly low maintenance in comparison.Whatever their hair length, all rabbits need basic careof weekly brushing, monthly nail trimming, teeth and earchecks, and yearlyvet exams, or more often if needed.

Our recipe this time will have a St. Patrick's Day Themesince it is almost time for leprechauns, lucky clovers andSt. Patrick's Day.

LUCKY CLOVER SALAD

(Serves 2 Buns)

2 cups Lucky Clovers ( since these aren't availableeverywhere, watercress may be substituted)

4 Green Seedless Grapes – diced

2 Stringless Snap Peas – chopped

1 Outer Leaf of Cabbage – Cut in two

Assemble all ingredients and place half on each cabbageleaf, using the cabbage leaf as a salad bowl.

Bun Appetite'

I'm throwing in these links that I found cute. They areshort bunny related videos. I hope you enjoy them too.